Avon Chalkstream fly fishing
Experience your first chalkstream brown trout and winter grayling fly fishing on this superb crystal clear stretch of the Upper Avon.
This challenging crystal clear chalkstream offers the keen fly fisher a superb opportunity to wade and fly fish for quality wild brown trout from March through to late September. From October through to early March your focus changes to the wild winter grayling as they start to out number the brown trout and become more dominant throughout the chalkstream. |
 Apart from Gnats and midges, in appropriate conditions, Olives, Duns, Spinners, Caenis and Sedges are just some of the prolific fly life you'll experience throughout the season. Don't forget the wonder that is the ' Mayfly ' which tends to populate the chalkstream in May through to early and late June.
Tackle Up!
In order to fish the river effectively you'll need to wade. A good pair of waist or full length breathable waders are advisable with additional clothing layers for comfort in colder conditions. Use of a wading stick is not imperative in this river but for the less experienced it will assist you with both stability and your stealth-like approach.
Wade carefully and slowly, if you race through this chalk stream then expect to catch nothing.
A rod between 7ft - 8ft 6" maximum (7ft 6" favoured) with an appropriate floating line rated #3/4/5 depending on wind conditions is recommended. Short casting is the name of the game so you may want to increase your line weight by #1 to aid rod load in adverse conditions.
In the fly box for trout and grayling!
Using tippets of between 2lb - 4lb and barbless hooks, klinkhammers & parachute hackled dries in size 16 to 20 work well. Use a host of colours to imitate the varying upwings, olive in size 16 & 18 is generally favoured and probably the most successful.
CDC flies in sizes 16 & 18 work very well in favoured conditions with the "F" fly being amongst the most lethal.
For winter nymphing you need look no further than a mere handful of imitations that will always reward you with a good stamp of fish.
In a variety of weights, use the Pheasant tail nymph in size 14 to 18, similarly try the Gold Ribbed Hares Ear and slim profiled Czech nymphs or Killer Bug in sizes 12 to 16. Last but no means least, a Shrimp pattern, heavily weighted with an orange or red hot spot seems to do the trick in sizes 12 to 16.
Fly fishing Tuition on the Avon
Trout and Grayling fly fishing skills and casting courses are run throughout the season on this beautiful chalkstream by qualified fly fishing casting instructors, Jim Williams and Tom Hill of the Devon and Wiltshire Fly Fishing School. They'll be only too happy to guide, instruct and provide you with the necessary skills, free tackle and equipment that you'll need to enjoy a day or weekends quality fly fishing... more
Jim also provides instruction at the Manningford Trout Fishery located approximately 1 mile from the chalkstream detailed above.....why not experience both locations with Jim.
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